Sealed switch cabinet and meter and means for removing alpha fuse therefrom



y 1, 1934- E. H. RUEPPEL 1,956,698

SEALED SWITCH CABINET AND METER AND MEANS FOR REMOVING A FUSE THEREFROMFiled Sept. 24, 1931 skil E] LEE- gvvuantox lama 64 Patented May 1, 1934UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE SEALED SWITCH CABINET AND MEANS FORTHEREFROM AND METER REMOVING A FUSE 4 Claims.

This invention relates to switch cabinets such as are commonly employedin electrical installations.

It is customary in electrical installations to insert fuses between themain line and the meter,

these fuses being commonly located in a cabinet, the flow of the currentbeing controlled by a switch. In such installations, the interior of thecabinet is often accessible to the consumer, thus enabling to take offcurrent ahead of the meter which will therefore not register the actualamount of the current consumed. Moreover, in making these fraudulentconnections to the main line fuse, the consumer will often be seriouslyinjured. In order to avoid these undesirable incidents, a largeproportion of installations now include a sealed cabinet for the mainline fuse.

The object of my invention is to provide a switch cabinet of suchconstruction that access cannot be had to the main line fuse after themeter has been positioned except by properly authorized persons.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch cabinet of suchconstruction that the meter may be positioned directly thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch cabinet with aflexible meter loop and meter connections.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch cabinet, the doorof which is locked in closed position by the meter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a switch cabinet havingmeans whereby the main line fuses will be accessible to a properlyauthorized person without the breaking of a seal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tool for removing themain line fuses from the cabinet without the breaking of the seal of thecabinet.

I accomplish the above and other objects of the invention by means ofthe construction shown in the accompanying drawing:--

Fig. l is a perspective View of my improved switch cabinet;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the switch cabinet with a meter positionedin operative relation thereto;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of my improved switch 1 cabinet with the doorpartly opened;

Fig. 4 is a perspective of one form of my improved tool for removing afuse.

In the drawing, in which like reference characters indicate like partson all the views thereof 1 indicates the switch cabinet having a door 2hinged at 3. The door 2 comprises the front 5 of the cabinet and the top6. The top 6 of the cabinet has formed therein an opening 7 throughwhich extends the meter loop connections 8. The top 6 of the cabinet isprovided with an upright flange 9 having a plurality of openings 10therein.

The flange 9 is also provided with a centrally located cutout 16 throughwhich the meter loop is threaded when the meter is set.

11 indicates the switch operating handle which is of usual construction.The interior of the cabinet has the usual fuse block and fuses (notshown).

When the meter 12 is set in place, its base extends down into theopening 7 and is secured to the wail by screws 13 or similar fasteningmeans passing through the openings provided therein and through theopenings 10 in the flange 9 of the switch box door 2. In setting up theswitch cabinet and the cooperating meter, the cabinet 1 is first securedagainst a wall in its desired location, by means of suitable fasteningmeans passing through the rear wall thereof. The meter loop is pulled upthrough the opening 7 and the door 5 is closed so that the flange 9rests against the supporting wall. The meter loop is then connected tothe meter, the meter base set down into the openin 7 and the properfastening means 13 passed through the rear wall of the meter and theopenings 10 into the supporting wall. The meter is then sealed. It isapparent that access cannot be had to the interior of the switch cabinetwithout the breaking of the meter seal.

In order to obtain access to the fuses without breaking the meter seal,I have provided the tool 14 shown in 4. This tool comprises aninsulating handle and a spring clip 15 adapted to grasp the fuse and aninsulating handle 16. When installing the device, the fuses with theirtools are positioned in the fuse block and the cabinet is then lockedand sealed. While a fuse may be easily removed by means of itsassociated tool, the tool cannot be disassociated from its fuse whilethe fuse is in the fuse block. It will thus be seen that access to thefuse, with a consequent possibility of taking off of current ahead ofthe meter, is prevented.

It is well known that many persons are often badly burned in attemptingto take current from a meter or switch cabinet ahead of the meter. It isalso well known that many persons attempt to take current from the mainfuse ahead of the meter in order to avoid payment for the current thusobtained.

My improved cabinet is designed to prevent access to the main line fuseand thus prevent theft of the current and also injury which might resultfrom tampering with the main line fuses. I am aware that similarcabinets have been designed which have separate sealing means for thecabinet and the meter but these constructions permit of more or lesseasy tampering with the main line fuse. The breaking of the seal of ameter cabinet is a comparatively simple matter whereas the breaking ofthe seal of the meter and removing the same in order to obtain access tothe main line fuses is a dimcult task for an unskilled person. Moreover,such extensive tampering would be patent to an inspector.

It will thus be seen that I have designed an improved switch cabinetwhich is efficient in construction and which, with the meter, provides acompact structure which prevents access to the main line fuses exceptfor their removal and renewal by a properly authorized person.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a switch cabinet adapted to be secured to a supporting surface, aclosure therefor, means on said closure whereby it may be held in closedposition and secured to said supporting surface, means on said cabinetfor supporting a meter in operative relation thereto, said meter when inoperative relation to said cabinet covering said first named means.

2. In a switch cabinet adapted to be secured to a supporting surface,said cabinet having an open face, a closure for said open face, saidclosure having a flange, said flange being adapted to be secured to saidsupporting surface, said cabinet having means whereby a meter may bemounted in operative relation thereto abutting against and covering saidflange.

3. In a switch cabinet adapted to be secured to a supporting surface,said cabinet having an open face, a closure for said open face, anapertured flange secured to said closure at an angle thereto, theaperture in said flange being adapted to receive securing means, saidclosure having means for positioning a meter in operative relationthereto, said meter positioning means being so located with reference tosaid apertured flange that when said meter is in position thereon itwill conceal said securing means for the flange and render the sameinaccessible.

4. The combination of a switch cabinet and a meter adapted to be securedto a supporting surface, said cabinet having an open wall, a closure forsaid wall, said closure having an opening therein adapted to receive thebase of the meter, a meter loop in said cabinet adapted to be con nectedto said meter, common means for securing the closure and the meter tothe supporting surface, sealing means for the meter, the meter whenpositioned and sealed concealing the securing means and rendering thesame inaccessible.

EDWIN HEIDT RUEPPEL.

